1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of viewing devices, and more particularly to a method and system for periodically displaying a clock on a viewing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many viewing devices, such as televisions or computer monitors, are manufactured with an integrated clock display. Typically, the clock is displayed after some action is taken by the user, such as changing the channel on the television. Other devices, like a computer, typically display a clock whenever the device is on.
In the case of a television clock display, the user must take some action to check the time. If the user watches the same channel for a long period of time, the user might lose track of time and miss appointments or other shows of interest. If the user wants to check the time, the user must look at a nearby clock, which might require leaving the area, or the user must manually bring up the television clock display.
A clock that is always present, such as that on a computer display, takes up space on the viewing screen. Also, the clock is necessarily always present, even when the user does not want to know the time. The dedicated space that is wasted could be better used by icons or other display items that might be more useful to the user. Thus, there is a need in the art for a clock that is displayed on a viewing device according to the user's desires without wasting dedicated space on the viewing device, or requiring extra effort by the user to view the time.